It's a great time to be a soccer fan here in the US. Major League Soccer held its annual All-Star Game this weekend. It was a game between all-stars from the league's Eastern and Western Conferences. The matchup was a bit disappointing since the contest was widely expected to feature an MLS Select XI against Real Madrid, arguably the most prestigious soccer club in the world. Apparently, this was all but a done deal; MLS even rearranged their schedule to host the Spanish giants. Except Real tanked at the very end of their league season in the spring and was forced to play European Champions League qualifiers in early August, thus precluding a visit to the US.
Normally, I hate all-star games. Regardless of the sport. Simply put, all-star games bear no relation to the particular sport. For example, it's not uncommon for NHL (ice hockey) all-star games to see both teams reach double digits in the goals column. MLS all-star games often end up with scores like 8-6. All-star games suck because no one plays defense. If players can score at will, it's as boring as heck. Good defense brings out the best in the attacking players. And that's what fans want to see. Not uncontested goals every 2 minutes.
Another reason I hate all-star games is simply because the matchups are totally uncompelling. I mean really. Who can get excited about an East vs West contest? MLS had it right in recent years when an MLS XI played Mexican champions Chivas (2003) and the US national team (2002). They had the right idea bringing in Real Madrid this year, which would've generated big publicity for the league and guaranteed a sellout in any stadium in America. Hopefully, they will do whatever possible to avoid contrived East-West games.
As it was, this year's all-star game was actually pretty good. I saw it because there was nothing else going on and a friend invited me over to have some burgers and watch the game. If it matters, the East won 3-2. But it was a good watch simply because it wasn't 9-8 or some farce like that. Both teams played defense. Not like it was the World Cup final, but enough to force good skills out of the attacking players.
There is also the big Champions World series. Eight of Europe's big clubs are touring the US and Canada in a series of pre-season friendlies. AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Celtic, Galatasaray, European champions FC Porto and the next champions of Italy, AS Roma.
As a columnist in the UK paper The Guardian noted here, The US is no longer a soccer backwater. Though the sport may never be as big in this country as baseball or NFL football, soccer is not going to disappear from the sporting landscape anytime soon. Despite the protestations of many "congoscenti" in our tired, self-referential sports' media establishment.
The columnist sums up my beliefs perfectly in these two paragraphs:
Contrary to popular belief, the US is a country where the people involved in the game have a sophisticated enough appreciation of it to know exactly where they stand on the bigger stage. They are under no illusions about the quality of their own domestic league (steadily improving midway through its ninth season), are justifiably proud of the national team (currently seventh, a place ahead of England, in the Fifa rankings) and fully appreciate that the arrival of some of Europe's leading clubs for the ChampionsWorld tournament this week is all about them cashing in on the game's increasing popularity here.
and
Apart from the huge numbers of expatriates that should turn up at all venues, there is an average American soccer diehard out there who is far more knowledgeable than given credit for. With organised leagues catering for children as young as four, these fans have probably played at least as much football growing up as their British counterparts have; and on any given Saturday from August to May they get to take in televised club matches from England, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
After Champions World ends, World Cup qualifying gets in high gear in the next few games as the US visits Jamaica (18 August) and hosts El Salvador (4 September), in a game I expect to attend with some friends.
2 comments:
I concur for the most part about All Star games, but there are parts that I really like. For example, Ray Bourque winning the skills contest by smashing four plates on four shots; Larry Bird winning the three point competition.
Here's the thing: Nobody playing really cares about winning the All Star game, but the players really do care about the skill competitions. That is for bragging rights and I think they take it as seriously as a heart attack. (Counterpoint, the NBA dunk contest has become the saddest parody of a once great event in the history of sports.) Bird ran around the court yelling, "I'm the three point champ!" Tremendous.
"Nobody playing really cares about winning the All Star game, but the players really do care about the skill competitions"
That's why I liked the MLS all-stars playing against Chivas or (almost) Real Madrid. It created a huge stake for the players, a huge amount of pride was on the line. When they played Chivas, they were playing the win and you could tell. They were representing much scorned American soccer against the champions of our greatest soccer rival. It was great when they won.
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